LET Gay marriage is not a rights issue

You've probably heard in the past few weeks the charge that the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would define marriage in the U.S. Constitution as the union of one man and one woman, would write discrimination into our country's founding document.

Don't believe it for a second.

Gay marriage has never been a constitutional right in America -- or any other civilized nation. Those who support the amendment aren't trying to deprive us of any of the legal protections they currently enjoy. Instead, they are trying to prevent runaway courts from creating new "rights" that would prove detrimental to society.

Amendment supporters also have been disparaged as "bigots." How can that be, when the language being proposed is identical to the language of the Defense of Marriage Act, passed by 427 members of Congress? Are they -- and former President Clinton, who signed the bill into law -- bigots, too?

This aggressive campaign to undermine marriage as it's always been known can be defeated -- but only if we all stand up to support the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Kathy; Sands

Rochester;